This post is going to wrap up my favorite U2 songs. Part 1 can be seen here. How do you feel about any of these songs?
“All I Want Is You” – For all you lovey dovey’s out there, this one is uber romantic. I can’t exactly remember the first time I heard it, but it has stuck with me ever since. Another version I enjoyed was performed by Jars of Clay (click here for that one)… not quite as earnest in its message of desperate love, Jars puts a rockabilly flair on it. But with a rock band like U2, you don’t often get a ballad of love laid out so bare. This shows that when it comes to U2, there are no rules, I guess.
Favorite line: “All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave… When all I want is you.”
“Mysterious Ways” – This is a song that exemplifies the “rock” side of U2 perfectly. Crunchy guitar, heavy drums, it’s just great. One of my favorite bands growing up was DCTalk and I can definitely hear the influence of U2 in their music, especially U2’s style in this song.
Favorite Line: “If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel.”
“MLK” – The first time I heard this song was close to 20 years after it was released. It was on the 1984 album “The Unforgettable Fire” which is also a good description of the song, really. A tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., the instrumentation has a mystical feel to it and might very well stop you in your tracks, as it did me.
Favorite line: “Sleep, sleep tonight… and may your dreams be realized.”
“Running To Stand Still” – This song is new to me, although it was released in 1987 when I was just 9 years old. Now I’m 41 and I’m kind of glad I heard it for the first time as an adult. It’s sad but with an element of happiness somehow. Bono’s voice is really nice in this one.
“Jesus Christ” – This song was also new to me this year (2020). If you listen to it and think it sounds very, very old, you’d be right! It’s a cover of a song from the 1940s, U2 performing it in the late 80s. I love the upbeat tempo that is a reminder of country/folk music from the mid-19th century.
Favorite Line: “When Jesus came to town all the working folks around, believed what he did say.”
Thanks for stopping by. What are some of your favorite U2 songs? Comment below!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 